After returning to the village, Naruto shared the agreement he'd reached with Madara with the First Hokage and the others.
Hashirama finally let out a sigh of relief, the weight on his heart lifting at last.
Next, Naruto sought out Captain Yamato to explain the situation with Chibo Daichun, making it clear he wanted Yamato to assume Daichun's identity as a second persona.
Upon hearing this, Yamato refused righteously. "You want me to impersonate someone and collect their salary? My upbringing doesn't allow for that, Naruto!"
Naruto tried to appeal to his sense of duty. "Chibo Daichun has already been executed, but the daimyo of the Land of Water doesn't know. To keep the peace, someone has to fill his shoes~."
Yamato still hesitated. "Taking a dead man's pay is even worse. Sorry, Naruto, but you'll have to find someone else."
Naruto sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "Man, the daimyo's salary is dozens of times what a ninja gets. One official's pay could support a whole clan, not to mention double salary. Well, if you're uncomfortable, Captain Yamato, I'll ask around elsewhere…"
"Wait—hold on, Naruto!!"
Yamato called out, stopping him.
Naruto turned, puzzled. "What is it, Captain?"
With a solemn look, Yamato said, "I've been freeloading in Amegakure all this time, and you rarely ask me for help. If I refuse again, it'd just be too heartless…"
Naruto's eyes lit up. "So you'll do it?"
Yamato relented, a bit helpless. "I'll take the job. Think of it as helping you save face…"
Naruto beamed. "Really? That's a huge help!"
Yamato pursed his lips. "Don't thank me. Just be careful with your Wood Release healing, okay? Don't make it so I can't answer to Lady Tsunade when I finally get back to Konoha…"
He remembered that Tsunade's original order was to monitor Naruto's use of Wood Release and make sure he wasn't overdoing it.
Naruto thumped his chest. "Relax, Captain! Except for that time I took a hit from Mōga Betsurai on purpose, I've barely used Wood Release to heal myself!"
Yamato scolded, "Take this seriously, Naruto! This isn't a game!"
—
At noon, Kakuzu packed his things, preparing to head for the Land of Water to "negotiate."
When the Second Hokage, Tobirama, heard, he put aside his own tasks and insisted on joining Kakuzu—though he disguised himself as an assistant to avoid causing a stir.
Naruto's only instruction: "Don't kill anyone."
After seeing them off, Minato approached Naruto, tactfully requesting that Murasaki be transferred from ANBU to a different post.
Inside, Kushina was fuming: "Minato's getting bold! If he keeps this up, maybe I'll have an affair with Kurama just to show him, dattebane!"
Kurama grumbled, "Can you two leave me out of your marital drama?"
Sensing the situation was getting out of hand, Naruto put on a serious face. "Dad, you're not actually planning to cheat on Mom, are you?"
Minato was baffled. "What? Where is this coming from?"
Naruto pressed, "Then why are you so fixated on Murasaki? Just because you saved her once?"
Minato blinked. "I saved her?"
Turns out, Minato had no idea.
So Naruto laid out Murasaki's background in full.
Minato suddenly understood. "She's that girl from back then? No wonder she seemed familiar!"
Worried about misunderstandings, Minato quickly explained that, during the Konoha festival, Murasaki had simply asked him to take her to see the fireworks.
He added, "She's just a kid at heart, not suited for ANBU's bloody work. I only see her as a junior, nothing more."
Naruto stroked his chin, but his mind was on something else. "So Murasaki went to Konoha that night? Was it really just for fireworks?"
Wait… Uncle Shikaku had written that Shimura Kabu was quietly killed, body and all missing.
But both Obito and Kamui swore it wasn't them.
Could it have been Murasaki? Did she act on her own after hearing me complain?
The more Naruto thought, the more convinced he became.
"Probably childhood trauma turned her this dark… Even darker than Kakashi-sensei in his youth. Keeping her in ANBU can't be good for her mental health…"
He realized he couldn't ignore the problem any longer.
"It's time to keep that promise."
He'd once promised to restore a soul to Shion's body, to comfort Murasaki.
Shion, Murasaki's sister, was the female Pain Animal Path.
Months ago, when Naruto exchanged Team Hawk and several reanimated ninja with Konoha, he'd also brought back Shion's remains.
He summoned Murasaki.
Konan led them to the morgue where Shion's body was kept.
The spikes had been removed from Murasaki's body, and the wounds repaired.
Zzzt!
Naruto's eyes shifted into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Even on the dead, there are lingering soul spectrums from life…" He'd used this as a reference when restoring Rin's soul.
Now, he'd do it again.
After confirming the soul spectrum, he adjusted the colors—a process so subtle it could only be felt, not explained.
—Futono Mitama!
Hum!
A beam of light enveloped Shion's body.
She opened her eyes and sat up on the morgue table!
Her body was stiff at first, but soon her heart began to beat, blood flowed, and she recovered.
Whoosh!
Her thin covering slipped off. Naked, she approached Naruto, her voice ethereal: "Father!"
Souls restored by Futono Mitama always retained absolute loyalty to Naruto—they usually called him "Father."
But having Shion call him that was… awkward.
—Kotoamatsukami!
Naruto used Kotoamatsukami to implant some memories and had her change how she addressed him.
Sure enough, Shion corrected herself: "Master!"
"…Huh."
That wasn't the title Naruto had intended, but it would do.
Murasaki hugged Shion tight. "Sister, I failed to protect you before, but I won't let anything happen to you this time…"
Shion's eyes shimmered. "Onee-chan?"
The sisters' reunion was a moment of pure joy.
Naruto spoke up at the right time. "Murasaki, take some time off and stay with Shion."
Murasaki hesitated. "Time off? But I'm an ANBU squad leader."
Naruto smiled. "Someone else will fill in. Your position will be reassigned."
Murasaki nodded. "Understood. I'll obey any arrangement Lord Naruto makes."
The rest, she kept to herself: Even if it means offering up my homeland, my life… or even my chastity!
—
Late at night, in Konoha's underground shelter.
Zzzt!
Black marks spread across Senju Kokushō's skin!
It was Black Zetsu's unique Black Spore Technique—planted during the gap when Kabuto and Sasuke traveled to Shinigawa.
The blackness whispered seductively, "When I left Tobirama's body, I gave you the last chakra I'd absorbed. Let it out, Kokushō—unleash all your negative emotions!!"
Zzzt!
Senju Kokushō's eyes flared crimson!
Clap!
His hands slammed together!
—Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees!
RUMBLE—!
The earth of Konoha trembled as hundreds, thousands of gnarled trees erupted from the ground!
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!"
In the blink of an eye, panic swept the village—every shadow seemed an enemy, every sound a threat!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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